Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1887-06-11
STRANGE FANCIES. RI
QUEER STORIES OF PEOPLE SANE
ON ALL POINTS BUT ONE.

Brewster, In his letters on Natural
Magic" relates an experience of New
ton which shows that any one has the
power to produce Authorizations at his
pleasure. This philosopher, after having
regarded for some time the image Of the
sun In q looking glass, was much sur
prised, on directing his eyes toward the
dark part Of the room, to sec IA specter
Of the sun reproduced bit by bit, until
II Shone with all the vividness and all
the color Of the real object. The hal
lucination aftcrward reoccurred when
ever he was in the dark. The same
phenomenon takes place when a person
looks tiXedly ut u window in q strong
light and then at a wall; q spectral win
dow, with its panes and bars, soon pre-
sents itself.
Taima, the great French actor, said
that when he entered upon the stage he
was able, by the power Of his will, 10
Danish from his sight tho dress of his
numerous and brilliant audience and 70
substitute in the place Of these living per-
sons SO many skeletons. When his inn
agination had thus filed the theatre with
these singular spectators the emotions
which he experienced gave snch an i'm
pulse to his acting as to produce the most
startling effects.
! have known mon TO imagine that they
had gold brains, silver livers and crystal
stomachs, aud the latter would swallow no
hard food for fear Of breaking the said
brittle organ. There is an authentic case
Oh record Of u ma who thought himself a
teapot, and always went about at home
and on the street with one arm held out
at right angles and the other akimbo,
walked sideways, and made O Kissing noise
like n teapot boiling. Nothing could con-
vince him to tho contrary. For many
years it was the only symptom Of insanity
he showed, but eventually be died in an
asylum for the insane.
Speaking Of Authorizations, ] have In
mind just now a lady, one Of the best
actresses IN this country, who has such a
| horror of dirt that It has become almost a
mania with her. In washing her hands
she uses at least Ave bowls Of water, uses
q towel but once, and that, when 1t leaves
the ~laundress, must be locked up lest any
human hand should touch It. Her tooth
brush is always under lock and key.
Every morning it takes her over an hour
TO battle, using at least three tubs Of water.
She dimes in no restaurant where she has
not the privilege of examining the kitchen
and questioning the cook. Her one hobby
IL water. / always call her an aquamaniac.
l know u very charming gentleman, q
prominent business man, who not for
Nandcrbilt's wealth would cross any
river or leave New York. ! nave used
every cndeavor to get him to cross the
ferry from New York to Brooklyn, and
only succeeded once-by druGging him.
He annot tell why, but as soon as tho
boat is on the point OF starting he has q
feeling as if he were about TO die, q cold
Precipitation breaks out all over him, his
knees shake, Il q stronger looking at
him would think he was about TO collapse.
This has been going on for about eight
years. In everything else he Is perfectly
sane; at home he is charming in every
respect. He has consulted the most emf
nent physicians Of New York, but TO no
avail.
Recently I read Of a most interesting
Journey made by Lieut.. Buckingham and
others of the United States navy. While
in Siberia they were walking on the
banks Of the Ussilri river, when he OBJ
served q messmate, who was a captain Of
the general staff of the Russian army, ap-
proach. The captain Of the boet suddenly,
and without any apparent reason, clapped
bis hands before his face. Instantly the
steward clapped his hands in the same
manner, put on I'm angry look, and passed
on. The incident was somewhat curious,
MS it involved a degree of intimacy with
the steward hardly, in such u country, to
be expected. After this they observed Il
number OF queer performances OF the
steward, and finally comprehended the Sit
uation. 1t seemed that he was afflicted
with q peculiar mental or nervous disease
| ,rftaA TDco,J t;n. fn ;pnifafn ntar,fti,v
suddenly presented to his senses. Thus,
when the captain slapped the paddlebox
suddenly in the presence of the steward,
the latter instantly gave 1t a similar
thuiup, or If any noise was made suddenly
he seemed compelled against his will to
initiate it Instantly and with remarkable
accuracy. To annoy him some of the pas
sengers initiated pigs grunting or called
out absurd names; others clapped their
hands and shouted, jumped or threw their
hats on the deck suddenly, and the poor
steward, suddenly startled, would initiate
them all precisely, and sometimes several
c~onsecutively. Frequently he would beg
people not to startle him, and again grow
f~uriously angry, but even in the midst OF
his passion would helplessly repeat some
ridiculous shout or motion directed ut him
by his pitiless tormentorS. Frequently he
would shut himself up in his pantry, which
was without windows, and lock the door;
but ever there he could be heard answer
ing the shouts, grunts or sounds on the
bulkhead outside. He was a man Of mid
die age, fine physique, rather intelligent
in facial expression, and gave not the
slightest visible indication of his disability.
could go ON writing about such cases
until | exhausted my readers patience,
but | shall close by relating q few of the
habits of the sect called the Jumpers, or
Jumping Frenchmen, that have u commu-
nifty near Moosehead lake, Me. l attn in
debted to the late DR.. Beard for the par
t~iculars. He found that whatever order
was given them they at once obeyed.
Thus, one of the Jumpers who was sitting
on a chair with n knife In his hand was
told to throw it. He threw it quickly so
that it stuck in n house opposite. At the
same time he repeated the order to throw
it with a cry Of alarm not unlike that OF
hysteria or epilepsy. He also threw away
his pipe, which he was filling with tobacco,
when he was clapped on the shoulder.
Two Jumpers sitting near each other were
told to strike, and they struck each other
very forcibly. When a Jumper is told to
strike, ne strikes; when told to throw, he
throws whatever he may happen to have
In his hand. DIR. Beard tried their powers
of repetition with the first part Of the first
linz nf Vtrgil,s - EnailD and the first mart